Monday, April 15, 2013

The other night I dreamt that I was in Texas. It was the end of my visit, and I hadn’t seen many wildflowers while I was there, but as we pulled into the Austin airport, suddenly the surrounding fields were blanketed with our beautiful state flower. I gasped and then I cried.

In real life, my recent trip home wasn’t much different. It was cold, rainy and grey most of the time, and the bluebonnets I did see were few and far between. But if you looked, there were still signs that it was springtime in Texas and plenty of reminders that I was indeed back home.

My first order of business was a book signing at the Texas State Capitol, where I looked up and saw this:

Then I spent the next couple of days at Foodways Texas’ annual symposium eating, pondering, and discussing this:

As much as I love barbecue, after two days of smoked meat I had a huge craving for this:

My travels then took me to North Texas, where along the way I spotted this:

I then popped into Central Market, where on display was this:

Then I paid a visit to my grandma's farm, where to celebrate its being named the official pie of Texas we enjoyed a slice or two of this:

The next day, I drove back to Central Texas and stopped in Taylor for this:

My last night in Texas was spent with good friends, and we slurped oysters, shared stories and felt lots of love and, of course, this:

Oh thank you for that! It's always this time of year that I miss Texas the most. I can still close my eyes and see the Bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush and smell the beef jerky at the little stores between Houston and Austin. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.........

I would be staying for a big fortnight..more than 2 weeks and eat myself into oblivion.Oh my what a way to start the week with pictures of texas and its great great food and the flowers well one can only conclude there ain't no place on earth but TEXAS, and I have never lived there but visited, I find the people hospitable, kind, loving and some of the best food in all of the USA...your making me nuts for TEXAS, OH, well our only child is considering moving from NYC to work and live in Austin, to her the best place on this USA if she does, we will visit so much, easier to fly there than NYC and warmer..have a great week! ciao

I'm just like you are, after a few days of meat/bbq, I always need my Mexican food fix. We're in N Texas and have just started seeing some pretty bluebonnets. Not a lot of them, but some good patches. I love Texas like you do!

Wish I had known you were here. I'd of come downtown and got my book signed. Of course its well used by now. My grand kids love the sour cream chicken enchiladas. We didn't get near enough rain last fall for there to be very many flowers this spring. Hopefully that will change.

Glad you were able to see the Bluebonnets. I didn't think we'd have a good year but they sure are lovely right now. My old friends who have moved away from TX, then finally get Blue Bell in their new town have big honkin' Blue Bell Ice Cream Socials introducing their new friends to the wonder of BLUE BELL! What fun!!

You really know how to spread around the homesickness, don't you? :) What great highlights - I so miss springtime in Texas! What I wouldn't do to have any one of those dishes delivered to my doorstep right now...

From a Corpus Christian living in Minnesota indefinitely (which I love by the way), you just made me cry. In 13 years I haven't been homesick, at least not beyond what a good plate of Texas food at my table couldn't fix. But, that Texas nutshell you just shared gave me a longing I both love and hate. Thanks. Keep it comin'

I love your stories about my home state. The photos of the Bluebonnets are beautiful. Every March I feel the draw to see fields of Bluebonnets in bloom. The homesickness explodes and I wish I could find a way to grow Bluebonnets in western North Carolina mountains. The year MUST always start with Hoppin' John in Jan., Rodeo in Feb. and Bluebonnets in March!Thanks for the stories of home and the photos to accompany them.Love you Lisa....

The bluebonnets are everywhere now, as well as the other wildflowers. I'm making a brisket this weekend. I can't imagine living somewhere else and longing for Texas. I hope I never have to find out what it feels like.Laurel in Austin, TX

We met you while you were at the capital for your book signing - we had brought my sister-in law and brother-in law from Manhattan to visit the Austin area. Glad you got to enjoy bbq and tx mex and blue bell and some bluebonnets while you were here in spite of the cold and rain :) Cathy from Dallas

I was supposed to go to Texas at the end of the month, but work/life got in the way. It would have been my first Fiesta since I left San Antonio 6 years ago. I'm hoping next year works out better (although I'm sure to be there at Christmas -- it's not the same as being there for Fiesta!).

Sorry to hear about your bad luck planting bluebonnets. Several years ago, I planted some bluebonnet seeds, and I got bluebonnets. Of course, I'm not quite as north as you, so that might have something to do with it.

I, too, was a misplaced Texan in NYC. Your blog really hits home and I enjoy it very much. I did want to say that we found a good (especially for NYC) more or less Tex-Mex restaurant across the street on the north side of Grand Central Station. It is called Tequilaville. It was the best I could find seven years ago. Glad to be back in Texas. Sorry we missed you in Austin.

Well, for once, I'm not crying after I read your post. I just got back from my own trip to Texas and it looked a whole lot like yours! As usual, I feel like I got my SOUL back after visiting. From the food( Katy Trail Ice House, Hook, Line, and Sinker, Van's Barbecue in Oakville, Mattito's in Dallas -Bob Armstrong Dip..oh, hell yes!Bluebell ice cream, Bordon's chocolate milk- great Mexican food at Mama Chole's in Leakey to the flowers (found the best bluebonnets between Marble Falls and Austin) to the people (everyone, everywhere) it was a much treasured trip. I love your blog and it has made me appreciate Texas even more than I already did..and that was A LOT! Proud to be a Texan living in California!

Thanks so much for this post. I've been living overseas for 13 years and usually only make it back to the Houston area in summer or for Christmas. Sadly, my first spring visit in all that time was this March for my mother's funeral. There were a few bright moments, though, enjoying the beautiful spring sunshine, getting my fill of BBQ and Tex Mex, catching a glimpse of the occasional bluebonnet and spending time with Texas family and friends.

Just pulled out your cookbook and MUST make Kolaches in honor of the people in the wonderful town of West, Texas. I too enjoyed stopping to stretch my legs and get a wonderful "snack" and a box full of Kolaches for breakfast the next day or for hostess gifts to whom-ever I was headed to visit! I was born and raised in Texas and now live in Indiana. Use your CB all the time...boy I think you wrote it with me in mind...because I am a "Homesick Texas"!! But you can take a girl out of Texas...you just can't take Texas out of the girl!!!! Everything recipe I make gets rave reviews!!!! Thank You!

Oh! You are making me so homesick! I am a displaced Texan living in England. I received your cookbook for Christmas, but sadly can't find many of the ingredients here. I'm working on substitutes so I can get as much flavor of Texas as possible. Thanks for the great post!

What an amazing treat. I got homesick for bluebonnets while living in England. Someone took me out and showed me the bluebells. They weren't the same, but the daffodils around London were a nice consolation prize.

With a spread like this to remind me, it's hard to say what I miss the most! Also, every time I go back, I take about a dozen pictures of the capitol, as if I'd never done it before. What a beautiful dome...

Bookmarking this beautiful post to come back to whenever I'm homesick! I was back in central Texas (home) last month for my first Texas spring in 8 years, and soaked up those carpets of bluebonnets-- aren't they gorgeous?! I received your cookbook for Christmas this year and have enjoyed being able to whip up authentic Texan dishes in my Aussie kitchen. Thanks for sharing your recipes...your Fancy King Ranch Chicken is the best!

I spent 6 years in ATX during and after college. I miss it dearly. Mexican food in Northern California leaves something to be desired. Tex-Mex is nonexistsent. I asked for Queso and they brought me cold shredded cheese! You have no idea how grateful I am for your recipes! I'm a vegetarian now, but I adapt what I can.

Y'all are braver than I am. I could never move out of state. I'd starve to death without my San Antonio cheese enchiladas and puffy tacos. I'm homesick when I go on vacation. All I can think about on the way home is how I'm going to get my Tex-Mex fix!

I love that you mentioned Taylor, that's where I'm from! I just moved to Montana and am a newly homesick Texan, although Montana has been somewhere I've always wanted to live. It has just made me realize how awesome Texas is. I guess I took for granted little things like Blue Bell and HEB, and now I miss them so much. Thanks for your recipes and stories, I'm so glad I found this website!